HOODED CRANES VISIT SUNCHEONMAN BAY

[Anchor Lead]

Some four thousand hooded cranes have visited the Suncheonman Bay area this year, the most so far. The area has emerged as a habitat for endangered bird species including 70-thousand Baikal teals. Meanwhile, the government of Suncheon City is on alert for avian influenza.

[Pkg]

It's still before dawn at Jangsan Wetland in the Suncheonman Bay. Hooded cranes with white heads and necks and black bodies rest in the marsh. At daybreak, the birds fly in flocks. Some are large enough to include more than ten cranes. They fly to a nearby farmland located about two kilometers away to find prey. Local farmers leave some of their rice plants unharvested on purpose to provide food for the migratory birds. The Suncheonman Bay used to be a stopover for migratory birds flying from Siberia to Japan to spend winter. But nowadays a growing number of birds choose to spend the coldest season here. In 2014, the number of hooded cranes visiting the bay surpassed one thousand for the first time. This year it reaches four thousand, the most spotted thus far.

[Soundbite] Kang Na-ru(Suncheonman Bay wetland guide) : "The biggest reason is the presence of wetlands, an ideal place for sleeping, and nearby farmlands with abundant prey."

A wide range of endangered bird species such as the Baikal teals, whooper swans, Eurasian spoonbills and eagles have also been spotted in the region. However, the government of Suncheon City is stepping up quarantine control as avian influenza antigens have been detected in the dead bodies of migratory birds lately. Disinfection is conducted on bird watch visitors and hiking trails are disinfected more than twice daily. Authorities are also considering closing down some of the trails if highly pathogenic viruses are detected.